


Cursed Return

by whispersofdelirium



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Pack, Pack Mom Stiles Stilinski, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2013-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-15 16:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispersofdelirium/pseuds/whispersofdelirium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the beginning of Scott and Stiles senior year a man came to town and all but destroyed the pack. They sent him away but at the cost of losing Derek. Both tumbled through a rip in reality to some hell dimension lost forever. Or were they? </p><p>Fast forward thirteen months later. The pack is finally able to heal and move on. Scott and Stiles are an hour away attending college, Boyd is finishing up his Associates at the community college and Erica is just turning 18. Lydia and Jackson are flying back for the occasion. It'll be the party of a life time, especially when a rip in reality tears a line in the woods and out tumbles their old Alpha, barely human anymore, at Stiles feet.</p><p>Note: Slow burn Derek/Stiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Into the Rip; Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So any Buffy fans out there? High five and yeah I'm so going there. Next chapter will be out soon. Already wrote the next two.

Time stood still for Stiles. Okay, it didn’t stand still but in Stiles’ mind time out right died as he watched Derek with a dagger sticking out of his chest being sucked through a rip in reality to gods know where. Derek had his claws buried deep in the stomach of the man, the bastard, that had kidnapped half the pack, almost gutted Erica for all to see and shoved an iron stake through Scott’s chest before leaving him pinned to a wall like a bug just to complete his twisted plan. He wanted to rip through reality to some level of hell for god knows what.

Stiles had said the Words of Power that trapped the man in his own conjured circle but unfortunately the only way to do so was to trap Derek in with him. Derek had a few seconds though before the barrier turned solid. As the last of the Words of Power left his lips he started screaming for the Alpha to run but he hadn’t been fast enough. The man had plunged that blasted dagger in his chest, a dagger Stiles was sure had been dipped in wolfs bane. He was to weak to disentangle himself from the bastard. To weak to grab hold of something, anything and wait out the storm raging inside that circle.

To his right Peter ripped the throat of demon-beast the man had summoned and rushed to his nephew’s side but the circle was secure. The barrier erected. Peter pounded on it as his hands went bloody screaming non-sense as the rip started to heal slowly, just slow enough that they could see the barren waste that lay beyond. The older wolf bloodied his fists, ripped out claws and broke a few bones trying to get to his only remaining family. It was times like these that Peter fully snapped back to himself, his whole self and Stiles wish he hadn’t. Peter was fully awake within his own mind for the first times in months just to be helpless against his nephew getting ripped from them.

Boyd joined in trying to chase after his Alpha but they weren’t strong enough and already Stiles was looking through the ancient book for a spell to stop the rip from healing. The barrier would snap once the man was to far away from the circle but by then the rip would have healed. He shouted around the supernatural winds but nothing happened. It just kept closing. A single, now familiar, blood curdling scream echoed throughout the clearing as the rip sealed itself sending out a blast of power that threw both Boyd and Peter into the side of the cliff they had scaled less then twenty minutes ago. Stiles had just enough foresight to drop to the ground and grab the closest stone. The Werewolves could take that impact but not him.

A few minutes passed before Stiles finally picked himself up from the cold ground and took a look around. The tree closest to where that bastard cast his circle was now bend in half, probably a result of the final outward blast. The ground where the man stood was burned black and Stiles had a feeling that nothing would ever grow there again. A hollow feeling expanded his chest painfully as his eyes unfocused and he took it all in. Derek was probably dead and the Beacon Hills pack that just ran out a freaking Alpha pack had finally stopped fighting within themselves. The pack had been stronger then ever. Everyone was coming around causing the group to feel more like family but now they were Alpha-less and as much pain as they felt on losing a friend it also meant other problems would surface soon enough.

Stiles focused on that thought because he definitely did not want to explore why Derek’s possible death shattered him so profusely from the inside out. They needed to check their injuries and make it back to the McCall house where a traumatized Erica, a recovering Scott and an unconscious Isaac was now housed. Lydia was back in the hospital, another thought Stiles didn’t want to think about, but at least her quick thinking had saved her life. Jackson was running between the McCall house and the hospital, to frantic over his mate and his fallen pack to be much help. And Stiles was really looking forward to them all walking back to the McCall house laughing in triumphant before making fun of Jackson for the next 6 years about being at all frantic but they weren’t victorious, at least not completely.

That bastard had torn his pack to shreds and he was damn fucking glad that he was burning and dying slowly in some hazardous wasteland. As a tear fell from his eyes for the last time in a long time he just wished that Derek wasn’t in that wasteland with him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thirteen Months Later, November:

“Stiles!” Erica called out from the living room of the Hale house as she picked up the familiar sound of his on the verge of death Jeep. She jumped up, using one hand on the couch and one on Boyd to propel herself up and out the door. Isaac and Boyd followed at a more subdued pace. They knew the truth of Erica’s glee. Stiles had been only gone two hours but he returned with cake, birthday cake.

Granted tomorrow was also her 18th birthday so that could also have been the cause of the excitement. They made it past the front door just in time to watch Erica climb on the top of the Jeep and hang herself upside down just to try and catch a glimpse of her presents. Both boys knew that Stiles and Scott had rounded up all her gifts earlier in the day and had dropped them off at Scott’s house since Erica was not above breaking into the Stillinski household and snooping around. The Sherriff would have also just let her in for the entertainment factor of it all so that also canceled his house out. Plus Erica actually liked Scott’s mom since she always sent food with Scott whenever possible and wouldn’t even dare breaking in there. Besides no one ever hung out there anyways for some reason.

“Look all you want just don’t twist the frame,” Stiles called behind him as he started to unload the car into piles at his feet. He had bought all the food and Lydia was to show up within the hour with the decorations. They were going to celebrate and he meant actually celebrate for the first time in over a year. They had gone to the empty grave in the woods last month and mourned all over again but the year mark had breathed new life into the pack. It was finally time to put it behind them and what better way then with a party?

“Isaac the bags on the left need refrigeration while the ones on the right can just go on the counters. Boyd there are a few pastry boxes in the back grab those and Eric, get off my car!” Stiles dispatched orders quickly with only a few mocking salutes in response. Stiles rolled his eyes and huffed while grabbing the cake.

With Scott and him an hour away at Humboldt State University Monday through Friday and Boyd in his second year at the local community college it was hard some times to gather everyone up. Even Lydia and Jackson had flown out from Boston for this since it also landed right near Thanksgiving. Both were perfectly okay with missing a few classes to get there in time.

It felt good to have everyone back together which was weird to think since a. Jackson and Lydia had only been gone two and a half months and b. it felt like it had been thirteen months since their band was truly together. As much of a rebirth this part was going to be he knew that he’d still set that extra setting, place the extra chair and stare at the empty space. They were just starting to get close as friends, just starting to work towards a real pack when Derek was ripped from them.

After Derek’s- Stiles hated to think of it as death since they weren’t sure but after his disappearance everything fractured. Peter at first acted like nothing had happened but they knew that the strain from his first mental break down into psychotic serial killer territory, reincarnation and then being witness Derek’s end finally got to him. He disappeared for seven months. There one day making snarky comments about Stiles clothes and gone the next. Most thought him dead and at that point no one really cared. He had been helpful and starting on a road to recovery since the Alpha pack that had come in at the end of Stiles’ sophomore year but it wasn’t enough for a bunch of kids that needed something more.

No one really did blame him even if they wanted to. They were just a bunch of teenagers in a rag tag group without an Alpha. Stiles stepped in as much as he could against is better judgment and they did listen but it wasn’t the same. Scott had let it slip that it felt like right after his dad left. He still had his mom, they still had Stiles but a parent was still missing. Stiles’ scrunched up his nose at the thought that he was the mom and tried to distract everyone with the suggestion of a very manly round of video games.

They had needed at least an adult figure back then but Peter couldn’t give them anything. When he finally did come back he locked himself away in the attic of the Hale house, which Derek had rebuilt only mere months before his- disappearance. They all knew what he was doing up there but no one ever spoke of it. The only man who could tear open that rip in reality again was probably dead. No one dared hope.

As Stiles walked the cake to the house he looked up at the attic window and watched the flickering light. It took them over a year to recover; well most of them, and thoughts of that Year of Hell were just not welcomed today.

 

The rest of the day was a flurry of motion as everyone cleaned up the Hale house while Stiles made the food for the party. Since Isaac had turned 18 over the summer and was no longer obligated to live in a foster home he had moved into the Hale house, along with Boyd who’s parents were currently in the middle of a nasty divorce. Erica had her own room but while still being in high school and having developed a stronger relationship with her parents she tended to bounce back and forth. Still three werewolf teenagers and one werewolf recluse, even if one was a part time inhabitant, had a habit of turning the house into a frat house especially during midterms.

Erica was the only one exempt from working and sat on the kitchen isle tasting all the treats before anyone else. Stiles wanted to get all the food prep done today since his father and him were taking Erica out for lunch. Her parents wanted to take her to this amazing bed and breakfast for a Reyes traditional birthday breakfast.

Over the last year of randomly waking up to Erica sleeping on the couch or in Stiles bed with Stiles on the couch after a bad night for her, the Sherriff started growing a bit fond of the girl. She still had the nightmares of when she was basically gutted and hung upside down like a slab of meat and of being wrapped up so tightly she couldn’t move, much like a straight jacket, afterwards. She dreamt of when Stiles and Boyd broke the news to her, two days later, and how they had to hold her down while she fought and screamed in despair. A few times the Sherriff even woke up to her crying in her sleep.

The Sheriff had found out about the werewolves and everything after Derek’s disappearance but knowing the facts still left him clueless on what to do with a traumatized, broken girl in his house. Stiles had been so proud of his dad for doing all he could to help. It felt amazing to finally have his dad in the middle of everything instead of having to lie. He would have cracked long ago if he had to mourn and lie all at once.

For the party she had invited her parents, Stiles’ dad, Scott’s mom, the Lacrosse team and a few girls from her classes. Stiles always smiled proudly at the fact that she and Isaac were starting to develop friendships outside of their family unite. True it had taken them over a year to get to where they were before Derek and after but it still happened. That’s what was important.

“So whatcha get me?” Erica asked randomly while munching on the grilled sandwich he quickly made for her.

“Oh a pony. He’s really big and awesome and in a few years he’ll be glue!” Stiles exclaimed in mock excitement while instinctively dodged the swat to the head he knew Erica would attempt for that glue remark.

“You are so twisted some times. You didn’t answer my question.”

“Ah- Chya I did. You got a pony. Do you want me to send him to the glue factory now? I can do that and you can have this spoon instead,” Stiles stated very cheekily that it earned a distinct glare from Erica.

“Are you talking about the pony Stiles got you?” Boyd asked very tongue in cheek as he entered the kitchen for a drink. Erica just huffed as she dropped down from the kitchen isle

“Fine, keep a secret. I can wait until tomorrow.” She harrumphed loudly before turning around and leaving.

“No you can’t,” Boyd and Stiles called out at once.  
            The rest of the day flew by as each member of the pack, except for Peter, pulled their weight and got the Hale house ready for it’s first celebration in a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bare with me just needed to get out basic info before the big deal happens ^.^ Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

                All the adults had left about thirty minutes to midnight and it took all of two minutes while watching the disappearing headlights for the party to fully get started. Beer and liquor were brought out of hiding. Stiles watched the party for a moment as the volume started to climb and the poison of choice started to hit everyones veins. It seemed this was the first time he had laughed with his pack for the first time in a lifetime.

                The girls from school had left not long after since for them it was still a school night. Danny showed up just as the last one was pulling slowly driving down the still dirt driveway of the Hale house. He had come straight from work with visible weariness but that didn’t stop Jackson and Scott from slapping a shot into each of his hands. Stiles clinked his bottle of Jack with Danny’s two shots before taking a drink. Now they were all together- Well all the living and the sane ones at least.

                Right after that Erica had challenged Stiles to a dance off that lasted all of two minutes before he slipped and fell flat on his back, which he may or may not have done on purpose. Either way Erica was declared winner. Birthday girls should always win, no matter what.

                Lydia smirked at the pair before pulling Stiles to his feet. “Subtle, darling, subtle.”

                “I have no idea what you are talking about,” replied Stiles with a smirk while he rolles his shoulders in some bizarre form of dance that did the job quickly. Lydia’s hands smacked down onto his shoulders as she started to instruct him how exactly he should be dancing to the current song. Jackson half-heartedly threatened Stiles about hand placements but after all this time his feelings for the red-head had changed into something less and something more all at the same time. They were friends now, actually more like almost always bickering siblings. 

                Not long after that song ended Jackson swept in and checked Stiles out of the way. He let him with an eye roll before sitting down on the couch next to Danny. Soon the two were drinking from Stiles bottle of Jack while debating the newest raid and why they failed so miserably last time they tried defeating one of the bosses.

                “Dude it’s basically a tank and spank. We kept dying because that tank friend of Lydia’s doesn’t know how to turn the bastard during his Leaf Blade attack.”

                “I agree with you on the Leaf Blade attack part but we keep getting caught up on the fact that he isn’t just a tank and spank. What about his Vine Trap attack? It’s very specific in movement and you always run right into it!” Danny countered as he turned fully to Stiles.

                “Not my fault. That tank keeps running out of my area of healing. I have to run to catch up and bam! Trapped.”

                “You’re both wrong. We keep dying because the dps isn’t up to par for the final wave of little tree thingies. It’s sad when I pull twice the amount of dps while playing my rogue as our two ret pallies,” Lydia cut in while quirking an eyebrow at both of the boys before going back to dancing this time with Erica.

                “Nerd,” Danny called after her jokingly and only got a stuck out tongue in response.

                “Hey you two dweebs. A few of us are going out back to play some football. Feel like getting your asses kicked?” called Jackson to Stiles and Danny as he picked up said ball from the coffe table while sitting between said boys and tossing it from hand to hand. Scott tried to grabit but the blonde boy just hugged it closer to himself which then caused Scott to pull him clean over the back of the couch. Stiles couldn’t help but laugh and roll his eyes in fondness.

                “Naw, man. Think I’ll put the food away before I get to drunk to care- Or try to challenge Boyd to a food off like last time.” Stiles eyes widened in mock fright at the memory. He had lost magnificently and had veen full for two days it had seemed.

                 Isaac broke away from the group of guys and shouldered Jackson away playfully. “Stiles cooked everything. I’m putting it away. Do I hear any volunteers?” Isaac called out with his arms raised while turning back and forth before pointedly looking at Scott.

                “Seriously? Why are you looking at- Alright! Then we play football?” They agreed before the two started going around cleaning up all the food, leaving a few plates that Erica were favoring out.

                “Werewolf or not you are so not prepared for this. I’m in,” Danny interjected while jumping up from the couch. 

                While his friends were finishing up putting the food away Stiles silently snuck out the front door but not before leaving a message with Lydia that he just needed some air. She nodded with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. Something in him buzzed, scratched at the back of his head and as he heald her hand fondly he knew she felt it as well. It was good to know it wasn’t all in his head. Lydia gave his hand a squeese wordlessly telling him to be careful. Usually when energy buzzed like it was now nothing really came of it but everyone knew Stiles had a knack for finding trouble regardless.

                He got the message loud and clear but the buzzing was making him to restless to stay and watch the game while to tired to play. A walk was right in the middle. If he was lucky he’d catch sight of a spirit passing over. That would explain the buzzing. Also those moments were always so breath taking that it calmed his mind for hours on end. The moon was half ful casting just enough light on the ground to keep Stiles from breaking his neck but only just. 

                “Duhul, lumina calea mea,” Stiles muttered while holding out the palm of his hand upward. Slowly soft white energies encircled his hand with specks of red and gold mixed in. It gave off a glow that illuminated the area surprisingly well. It was one of the first ritual-less spells he had learned back when the Alpha pack was still bearing down on them. The Alphas. Stiles hated to think about that time and relished it all at once. Four straight months of torture and basically all out war before the twins had been put down for good while the other two ran. It was hellish but also helped strengthen the bonds they all shared now. Without that time they would probably still be scattered and pack-less.

                It wasn’t just then either that solidified them. There was the Fae Invasion during the christmas vacation of Stiles and Scott’s junior year as Stiles liked to call it not long after the Alphas left. True, that had ended surprisingly well with one of the members of the high court still owing Stiles a favor which was nice, useless but nice. He had called upon the Fae not long after went through the rip and demanded the being bring the Alpha back. With sad eyes the Fae stated that the Demon Realmn was out of his reach. So he had a powerful favor in his corner that did him no good.

 

                For an hour Stiles wandered around the woods aimlessly with random thoughts racing through his mind while warring for attention while others came by quickly just to smack him in the face. Every now and again he would stop cut the focus to the light spell and just peer into the darkness. Some times he was able to convince himself that he wasn’t looking for a pair of red eyes while other times it was all he could think about.

                Thirteen months gone and Stiles, he thought, was the only one who hadn’t moved on and he didn’t really know why. After Allison moved away, of her own accord, for the final time Stiles figured he would get his best friend back but something in them changed. They were still brothers but now they had a whole family once again. They had needed to make room for more in their lives. When Scott was off running with the pack Stiles bonded with Lydia in a new and wonderful way. Soon after Danny came in and surprisingly they all started to play World of Warcraft together on those night. Lydia had more level 90’s then him when he started and Danny was only one behind him.

                Some nights when all the couples were having couple nights Derek would pick Stiles up or the other way around and they’d just hang out all night doing whatever they felt like. Derek even started to help Stiles research different threats. Well- Help is a strong word. After Derek without thought closed out of Stiles ten page college application essay, without saving it, Derek was no longer allowed to touch  the computer. Instead he was banished to the bed to look through books.

                As Stiles thought about it, they really did spend a good amount of time together. Maybe the fact that they were just getting to that great stride in all great relationships that the Alpha was ripped from him. It was also a month before when Derek kind of named him, a human, his second. Well he never said it within earshot of Stiles but Boyd and Erica swore up and down when Derek was facing the shape-shifter that had tried to attack Stiles on his way home and got a bat to the face that’s what Derek called him. Every time either of the betas brought it up it always seemed not long after they were on dish duty for a week and Derek thought he was being subtle.

                Stiles snorted at the memory. It wasn’t like it was an illogical choice. The only beta that knew anything about keeping his calm in non-violent situations was Boyd but he wasn’t a talker. Not like Stiles. With their tract history Stiles had only got them into a kind of violent encounter once because of his mouth and to this day he swears up and down it wasn’t his fault. The witch insulted his Jeep. He also does not think he deserved the donkey ears he was cursed with for a week. Most awkward conversation with his dad ever. On the plus side until it wore off he was able to skip school under the pretense of having the flu and play video games with Derek most of the days.

                He walked for a bit longer until he realized it was nearing 3am. The teen knew he should start heading back but his legs wouldn’t listen to his half hearted logic attempts his brain made. Instead he kept walking a bit faster and soon really without, consciously, meaning to he came to the clearing. It had been a few months since he laid eyes on it. The charred ground was stil void of life and the split tree was just starting to decay enough to fall completely to the ground. There was still the Peter sized dent in the cliff face.

                “Duhul, am fost conduc,” Stiles whispered as the energy swirl around his hand bled back into his body. The light here was enough to see by and with heavy step he moved closer to the clearing, sitting on the stone not to far away.

                “The air is buzzing, Derek,” he whispered. A habit he had picked up his second visit here. “I guess it fits since it’s Erica’s birthday. Some times I think she could rival me for most hyperactive child of the year.” He knew it was silly. He knew Derek couldn’t hear him but still he talked. The grave near the house was empty and meant very little to him. If Derek was truly dead, this was his grave. This was where that bastard buried him.

                “Haven’t been to visit since I left for college. I felt like college was my push forward but it really wasn’t. Not with the constant reminders that your gone. We’re Alpha-less and for some reason they are all turning to me. At first it was funny but when that douche Clint cheated on Erica and Isaac got into a fight with some kid from the next town over for calling Scott a fag it hit me. I can’t be you. I know if you were here you’d have ripped Clint’s throat out with your teeth. I had to settle for getting Danny to hack into his personal computer. That I will say was freaking hilarious but what was I suppose to do when Isaac is worked up like that. I don’t have that awesome Alpha voice like you. I couldn’t make him back down before he killed the kid.

                “It worked out in the end. I finally got through but it was close. I’m only ninteen and so not cut out for this whole ‘mom’ job they’ve all slotted me in.” Stiles stopped talking as the energy buzzing around him sped up a notch. He sighed out and flopped backwards off the rock. “I can feel it. Someones passing over and I’m jealous- Not in a ‘I want it to end’ kind of way. I’m jealous because they get to move on and I’m still here talking to thin air.”

                A sharp crack echoed through the clearing as Stiles sat up sharply. His head wiped from side to side but saw nothing out of the ordinary. His brow furrowed as the pugnant scent of burnt ozone hit him full force. Slowly the teen rose to his feet and muttered a short incantation under his breath. His choice of weapon was a runed carved bat but when without the magic Deaton had been teaching him would work just as well. He halted before the last word and waited for something to happen. Spell poised and ready.

                Another crack splintered the silence in the clearing as a fierce wind picked up and died just as suddenly. The energy Stiles had picked up on earlier had multipled ten fold and more. It ricocheted off the rock walls and swam drunkenly around himself. Then without warning a clap of thunder hit and lightening struck the air as a rip tore at reality. A burst of heated air rushed out  crashing into Stiles. Limbs flew out in every which way as he tried to fight against the current. One misstep sent the teen flying backwards, ass over teakettle, behind the rock. The spell died in the air as his concentration broke. Stiles stumbled to his feet just in time to see the blackened world on the other side before the hulking figure of a battered wolf was blown through.

                The wind died, the rip healed and at his feet was a wolf with midnight black fur breathing heavily. The beast growled in pain and desperation as he swung his head towards Stiles who had involunteerily let a gasp fall from his lips.

                Darkness and pain clouded the wolf’s eyes but nothing in the world could keep Stiles from recognizing them.

                “Derek?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The non-English part is Romanian and the first one means: Spirit, light my way. The second one is: Spirit, I was lead. I used google translate for it. If it's wrong please tell me and I will fix.
> 
> Also! Derek's back. 
> 
> I know I threw a lot of backstory at you all at once and it's going to start picking up from here I promise. Also there are any mentioned stories/memories in here you want written out as a scene. Request it and I shall do that. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Stiles gaped at the wolf before him who rose on shaky footing while growling deeply. The human knew that growl and never in his life had that sound been directed at him. Derek had very specific growls. One of which was full of deadly fury and grim resolve. When Derek growled at the pack there was an undercurrent of amusement and irritation all at once. It was familiar with a touch of warmth. This rumble caused Stiles’ blood to run cold.

            “Derek?” The question fell softly from the boy’s lips as he took a tentative step forward, eyes locking with the wolf before him. Something was wrong. Derek’s stare was off. An invisible weight pushed at Stiles chest as a stuttered breath escaped his lips. Immediately the wolf snapped his massive jaws and took a few quick steps forward.

“Woah! Calm down.” A swift flick of Derek’s tail was Stiles only warning before the beast leapt into the air with teeth bared. A yelp fell from the boy’s lips as he ducked and rolled out of the way landed not too far off to the side. One of the claws slashed Stiles arm slightly but just enough to cause blood. The beast sniffed the air and snarled before lunging again.

            Stiles grabbed a fallen branch and deflected the body as best he could but the sheer power caused both bodies to tumble to the ground. Derek- Stiles knew it was him, damn it- half pinned the human down. Stiles bashed the branch across Derek’s back and scrambled away. The wolf wasn’t calming down. It was almost like he had gone feral. The thought hit the young man hard as he swung the branch once more widely, aiming to miss but achieving the result he wanted. Derek reared back out of range and leapt back a few feet.

            The wolf’s head quickly turned back and forth while backing up. Stiles threw the branch down and rose to his feet. “Derek,” Stiles tried to say as calmly as possible. He held his hands up, palms out just to show he meant no harm. Derek snarled viciously once more and started running for him.

            This time Stiles widened his footing to a solid stance while breaking off an amulet that hung around his neck and yelled a word of power. A solid wall of energy roared to life as Derek literally crashed into it, sending Stiles flying one way and Derek sailing back to the cliffs. Sparks of energy shattered across the sky. A brutal snap of bone echoed in the clearing. For a minute Stiles thought it was from him but when the air returned to his lungs and the feelings to his limbs he realized it had come from Derek. While Stiles had been flung back Derek had impacted against rock- Jagged, sharp rock.

            Slowly Stiles got to his feet, licked his lips and watched the wolf. Derek struggled to his feet slowly, shaking visibly with the effort. It was hard for the young man to stand still. His instinct as pack- Hell as a friend was to go and help but he couldn’t risk it this time. He waited silently for the wolf to do something, anything.

            After a few minutes the wolf, with labored breath finally lifted his head and looked Stiles square in the eye. It stole the air from his lungs. They were filled with pain, too much to bare but they were clear. No madness tugged on them like before- Just pain and Derek. An unsure smile tugged at Stiles lips as he slowly started to walk towards his friend. The weight lifted off his chest as he realized: Derek was finally back.

            A second after it happened; Stiles cursed himself to hell and back. Something so small screwed it all up. He stepped on a twig, just one but the sound echoed in the clearing. The wolf before him flinched violently before turning away and leaping into a run but not before Stiles saw the madness once more clouding the wolf’s eyes.

            “Wait! No,” Stiles shouted as he ran, trying in vain to catch up. “Don’t go…”

 

 

 

            It was dawn by the time Stiles finally made his way back to the Hale House. Every muscle in his body ached and his own bones felt wrong in his body. For hours he had wandered the woods trying to find a hint of the wolf but from the start he knew it was useless. The whole time Stiles focused on stalling his thoughts. He wanted to collapse in relief and anger but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t let himself. Not yet.

            Upon entering the house he quickly climbed the stairs and headed straight for Derek’s room. After the second month of his absence it had been an unspoken acknowledge that no one was to enter yet everyone knew that Stiles went in there from time to time. He was their new- Not Alpha but something else. Something none of them could quite put into words. It had happened slowly at first. First he just fought to make sure everyone lived until morning, then it was fighting to regain normalcy, which soon turned into Derek and him fighting to keep balance. A balance they had surely missed over the past thirteen months. Stiles had been fighting so long at this point it had just made sense that he was the one to keep it together the best- In front of the others that is.

            With his head filled with heavy thoughts and near panic inducing fears he closed the door behind him as he surveyed the room. When he was here he never touched anything just absorbing the little comfort it gave but tonight he had no energy for reflection. Instead he sluggishly made his way to the private bathroom attached and stripped.

He had only done this once and it was while Derek was still around, before that bastard ripped him away. Stiles had been thrown into a freezing lake by a crazed vampire. It had been a good few minutes before anyone realized. Derek had dragged him straight back to the house and thrown the boy into the shower, cold water at first then slowly warming it up as Stiles’ shivering slowly stopped. Derek had climbed in with him, both fully clothed when he realized Stiles was shivering to violently to keep himself up. On the floor of the shower they sat for an hour with Derek’s arms around his torso speaking softly to him, easing tension and fear.

            The warm water hit his body just right. At first he just let it wash away the dirt and dried blood, then the numbness within him, then finally the pain just long enough for his mind to start up again. It pieced the information he had together. Plans started to form while some were quickly discarded.

            A pang of guilt stabbed his chest as he realized his first instinct wasn’t to tell the rest of them. For now he needed to keep this from them for their sakes. He wished to who ever was listening that he didn’t have to but if they saw their Alpha in the state he was in it would kill them even more. A sadist whisper in the back of his head simply stated, ‘ _There may be nothing left but the wolf.’_ Stiles didn’t want to believe it. For now he washed soaked under the water as it slowly turned cold.

            Derek was alive. Feral, violent, and dangerous but alive nonetheless.

            

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait but I've been so freakin' busy and all of my actual writing time has gone to my NaNoWriMo project. I know it's not that long but the next chapter has three distinct parts that should make it a lot longer then the chapters have been. Hope you've liked it so far. Please subscribe, give kudos, hugs, cookies, comments or rather if you comment I shall give cookies and hugs.


	5. Chapter 5

It has been two days. Two days since a huge black wolf fell through a rip in reality. Stiles knew it was Derek- Knew it deep in his bones but for the last two days Stiles had gone out to the woods from dawn to dusk and had found nothing. He had completely exhausted every spell in his very limited arsenal. He found no trace of the wolf or the man. By the end of the second day Stiles sat in the clearing with his phone out and his thumb hovering over the button. Calling Deaton should have been the first thing he did but something clenched at his insides when he thought about telling anyone. Was he being selfish? Maybe at first and yeah, Stiles was finally there to be able to admit his faults but now after two days and thinking about nothing but the night Derek had come back had Stiles' realizing something- Derek was feral.

The only time that Derek stared at him without a maddened gaze was after he was thrown into a cliff side. Stiles wasn't really up to do that again. With a groan Stiles' gaze looked at the cliff then back at his phone. The screen had gone black. Probably for the best. The one thought that kept rattling around his head was what do you do with a feral werewolf? Stiles wasn't sure and until he was sure that the answer wasnt't a simple 'you put it down' no one was to find out. God, he hated keeping secrets from the pack but if the answer was that that little moment of clear headedness two nights ago was a fluke or maybe not even a moment at all and- Stiles couldn't take the pack finding out. He already had to live through them losing Derek once and seeing those faces again would kill him.

  
Stiles kept those thoughts and images circling him as he put his phone away and started to walk the perimeter of the clearing. Those thoughts kept worse ones at bay. The ones about what if with out a doubt Derek wase gone, he did not want anyone to see  him-  To witness his heart break. No one knew. He had barely figured it out before Derek was sucked into the rip but over time Stiles had started to feel something far from platonic for his friend. No one knew because what kid wants to be that loser with two unrequited loves in a row?   


With a frustrated cry, Stiles kicked at the dirt at his feet. He threw his hands up with a snort and stomped the rock to his left. "Hello rock. This bastard is called hard place," Stiles stated sarcastically wih a flourish. A flourish that ended in a jolt when his phone started to go off. He plunged his hand into his pockets before bringing the phone to his ear with an angry jerk. Call answered and, "Yeah?"

"Stiles, dude," answered Scott. "Where are you?"

"Woods. What's up?" Stiles collapsed onto the rock, trying to will his bad mood away. His bad moods were general hints that Stiles definitely did not want to leave lying around- Especially with Scott being the one on the other end of the line.

Scott cursed softly before answering, "You have your energy shield thingie still, right?" Stiles brow furrowed for a moment before his eyes opened wide. Mentally he cursed. He didn't.

"Eh- I think I left the charm at home." Bullshit, it was not at home. It was shattered into a million pieces about ten feet from where he stood. It had completely slipped his mind to craft a new one.

"Do you have any of your charms with you?"

"I only have two others I carry and um- No." Stiles had used the tracking one a few hours earlier which did jack fucking shit. Fuzzy, big bastard evaded him long enough for the charm to fry out and his other charm, one he called the deep freeze since it shocked a persons system causing them to stop moving for about ten minutes, decided to literally fall apart as he was climbing up one of the cliffs in the west side of the preserve.

"Okay. Stiles, you need to-" Scott was interrupted by a buzz. Stiles pulled his phone away and saw the text message. 

"Hold on, dude. Dad's texting me." The teen swiped his thumb across the screen and opened the message

'Round up the pack. One of my deputies found a couple ripped to pieces in the preserve.'

"So," Stiles started putting the phone back to his ear and starting to walk back to his jeep in a brisk manner. "Dead bodies found in woods?"

"Yup."

"How did you find out?"

"Was tracking a weird scent with Boyd. Officer- Er... The one with red hair who caught us freshmen year trying to break into the old factory."

"Officer Brattle," Stiles supplied as he started to climb down a small embark meant near a stream. He jumped over the running water and turning right. The clearing was in almost the middle of the preserve. Even at this pace he still had a good twenty-five minute walk ahead of him.

"Yeah, her. We were tracking the scent when we found her. She was just calling it in when we got there. A few others have shown up. Your dad's one of them."

"Are you still in the woods?" Stiles asked as he picked up his pace a bit. A handful of yards in front of him was a crop of rocks with an ancient tree in the middle.

"Near enough." Scott understood. Stiles couldn't help but smile

"I'm just coming up on the rock circle. The one we met the fae court in."

"Boyd and I can probably make it in a little over five." Stiles nodded, said good bye and hung up. He pocketed his phone before running the rest of the way. The rock circle was now under a protection charm that will never fade. Thank god for paranoid semi-immortals.

  
The minutes ticked by with Stiles ducked under a rock to relax and a plan formed in his head. Whatever tore those two people apart were probably not around but before the trail got to cold they'd had to investigate a bit. Because of his own stupidity Stiles was basically defenseless so if the creature decided it wanted more action he was useless. A huff of annoyance fell from his lips at the thought. So okay plan: group up go to jeep. Grab the bat he had under the seat then walk the area with the two wolves. He hoped he still had that extra detection charm in his glovebox. The bat was just incase while the charm pushed his senses up on par with the wolves- Well with Issac 's . Scott was not stupid or dull at all but his sense of observation has never really been great. It also allows the user to see energy trails.   


While he waited Stiles pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his father, 'Boyd and Scott already know. Were tracking a new scent on territory. I'm close. Going to meet up and canvas the area. Think you can pull all that are not in the know?'

A few minutes more his dad responded, 'They're moving out now. Only Officer Rowe and Officer Nuvalley are staying.'

"Stiles?" Scott called out just as Stiles texted back a quick, 'see you soon,' to his dad.

The teen in question popped his head up and greeted the two wolves.

 

They swung by Big Blue, also known as Stiles jeep, and grabbed what they needed. Scott grabbed the small box which held bags for any physical evidence found. After the Yeti of their junior year Lydia had been hell bent on trying to find a scientific way of categorizing and identifying the supernatural. Stiles grabbed his bat and the holster and strapped it to his back. Right before they started off Stiles ran back to his jeep and dug into his glovebox

"Hell yeah, past me," he exclaimed while producing a detection charm and looping it around his neck. Stiles slammed his car door shut before running up to his friends. Scott's nose twitched as they made their way to the crime scene. From what Boyd was telling him on the way over it was about a ten minute walk from the jeep.

"Dude?" Scott asked slowly.

"Me?" Stiles questioned.

"Yeah, why do you only have your back up charm? That's not like you." Stiles brain zoomed at a hundred miles per hour. Couldn't tell the truth and couldn't lie. He glance at Boyd who gave him a look.

"Used them a few nights ago and forgot to make more." Stiles just shrugged before quickly adding, "Also found one in the old Bennet grimoire, that Vermont pack that Deaton knows, and it says there's a spell with a charm component that can rip a werewolf from the shift."

  
"I am not being a guinea pig, asshat," Scott jumped in quickly and was now thankfully distracted. Stiles glanced at Boyd who of course was doing the rapid eye movement thing he did when he tried to pretend he wasn't onto to Stiles. A sigh fell from the lanky teen as he ran his hands through his hair. Boyd swung his gaze to Stiles who only stared back. They had this silent agreement that basically stated both were way to observant to completely fool the other. The agreement was to never out right lie and to only admit once the other one had  deemed it nessesary to start a line of questions. Thankfully for Stiles and the wolfed out Derek somewhere in these woods, Boyd was only at the beginning stages as of now.   


Holy crap! Stiles almost stumbled as it all slammed together in his brain. Derek, for the last two days had been running around in fuzzy butt form. Probably washing the woods with his scent- Acting all crazy because of that pesky little fact he's gone feral. Also there is something out there ripping young couples apart. Just because Derek is feral does not mean he is invincible. A lightening bolt of fear struck at the teen's heart just as a curse fell from his lips- Which caused Boyd to instantly give him a very special side look. Stiles paid it no mind as he gave Scott; sweet, oblivious Scott one of his own.

"Scott. What did the scent you were tracking smell like?" Stiles asked Scott since it was well known he had the best nose in the pack. Probably because he had the best nose as a human. Stiles had once- Just once tried to smoke a cigarette when he was thirteen and his mom had just been put into the hospital. It was stupid. He had stole it off a neighbor but he'd been told they help you calm down and he had been having panic attacks on a daily basis at that point. The cigarette did not help at all. Instead it made him sick and had thrown it into a water bottle three drags in. Scott came over hours later and smelt it instantly. Even after all for Stiles effort to hide the smell. 

Scott was quiet a moment before responding, "Not sure.  It was familiar but- It smelled wild and primal." Maybe? Could they have been tracking? No. There was no way that Derek's scent could lead them to corpses and there was no way Scott had forgotten what his Alpha smelt like. "It reminded me of-" Scott cut himself off and sped up just as Stiles came almost crashing to a stop. No one needed to finish that sentence since only their Alpha's name could cause knife like pain in every ones chest at the same time. 

Boyd used his shoulder to urge Stiles to keep moving while he kept up the side ways glances. Stiles only had a moment to curse at Boyd, who's curious stage just blew away and he was now fully into calculating. The lanky teen needed to be more careful which he would figure out later. For right now he couldn't get over the sick feeling in his gut. If whatever was out there killing smelled like Derek- Did that mean whatever it was, well, had it hurt Derek? Was the man in wolf's skin out there hurt and afraid, to feral to recognize the woods as home? To far gone to seek out his pack for protection?

The three teens arrived at the crime scene just as the sun was starting to set. Just before walking up to his dad, Stiles activated the detection charm. If he focused the charm would last almost two hours before burning out. As the usually hyper active teen surveyed the area, the charm pulsed through him. His vision had a slight blur to it and his limbs itched to run his fingers through soil and leaves. His father noticed the glowing charm around his neck and rolled his neck before moving towards his son. Stiles knew his father hated watching him do this. He used to get the lecture that no teen should have to play supernatural detective, spending their time at crime scenes and the like looking for clues instead of camping out in front of a TV playing video games. The lectures stopped right after Derek disappeared. Stiles always figured that since the lecture included Derek in part and was often reiterated while the older man was there his dad just couldn't bring himself to go through those particular motions. The Sheriff, and he will deny it to his dying day, but the man had grown a rather large soft spot for the young Alpha over time.

He shot his dad a look. Just because he had stopped the lectures didn't mean he wasn't still spitting instead. Stiles got it. His dad wanted him to be normal but seriously. When was Stiles ever normal? The Sheriff seemed to read his son's mind as he fell in step beside him since he cuffed him on the shoulder.

"Got here mighty fast," his father said in that voice that was half way between dad and cop. "Hello boys," the Sheriff threw to the two wolves who were slowly creeping around the edge, probably trying to pick up scents or find a trail.

"Hey Mr. S," Scott called back happily as if he wasn't standing six feet away from two torn up corpses. "So pack meeting are your house? Isaac told me yesterday that Peter has been more crazy then usual. Probably best-" Scott jerked his head at Stiles which caused the teen to roll his eyes. Some times Scott's subtlety fell truely short. At the mention of Peter, the Sheriff's lips tightened. Stiles had a hard time keeping his mouth shut around Peter's particular brand of crazy.

"Boyd," the Sheriff greeted the teen in question with a pat to his massive shoulder as the man chose to ignore the dirty look Stiles threw at his best friend. The large wolf smiled at the Sheriff before breaking away, mentioning something about the perimeter and taking off.

"Scott," Stiles called out. "Go with him, please. I'll call you back in if anything lights up like the bat signal." The shorter teen did as asked. "Dad?" He turned to the man and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Weird, kind of out of left field question but was any of the blood really dark red it was almost black?"

The Sheriff quirked and eyebrow before answering, "Yup.  One of the officers found it splashed against that tree." He pointed to a tree no more then a few yards away. Stiles heart practically seized in his chest. The teen quickly looked around. Scott may have the nose but Boyd's hearing was amazing. No wolves came running. Good.

"Something wrong, Stiles?" His father moved closer and put a hand in his shoulder. "The color just drained from your face. Not easy with a complexion like ours," the man joked softly. 

"Sorry focused to hard," Stiles muttered the lie as he jerked his head to the covered up corpses. He blinked once, twice while focusing back on the task at hand. As his concentration increased so did the amount of lines of energy all around him. The charm worked beyond the senses and into basis energies. "Just keep a look out for me. You know how the lines can blur out my vision." That had been a lovely black eye Stiles had spotted for over a week. First time he had used a detection charm he was on Hale land with Scott and Jackson. Stiles had tried to follow all the scratched up black lines at once that he had stepped into a hole, went ass over tea kettle and kneed himself in the eye.

  


Just as they're reached the hour and a half mark the charm started to over heat and burn his chest where it met bare skin. Stiles grabbed it held it up and jumped away, which only resulted in his ass sticking out with one arm ram rod straight to help his balance. He couldn't take off the charm just yet since there was a gorgeous blue-green thread with a strand of red and gold at it's core dancing around with a deep sickly green thread. They were slowly starting to fade, the beings responsible for them long gone and no longer fueling their existence. They were so mixed up together Stiles would bet money it was a fight. It was like a gigantic ball of yarn being held suspended in the air. The strands of energy only last this long when tthey're caused in intense moments- Like a fight or sex.

Stiles pulled his eyes from the tangled mess and took one last look over of the bodies before the charm literally burned up, falling from the wire hold Stiles had it on. He picked up only one new clue: a piece of something under the skin of what he thinks he an arm pulsed out at him. The teen held his gaze to it as his vision slowly started to return to normal.

"Hey, dad? You got tweezers?"

"Yes," his father replied with a snap of the gloves he was wearing. "Where?" Stiles knelt down and hovered his hand over the spot. The Sheriff, with tweezer in hand, pulled back the lacerated piece of skin from bone and picked up the item. "What is it?" Both men peered closer at it before the Sheriff cursed and Stiles groaned while taking the tweezers and placing the object in a tiny plastic bag.

"Okay so we have a part of a claw and two dead bodies?"

"Omega?"

"Not sure. Let's get this to Lydia."

"Christ!" the petite red head exclaimed as she opened her door in nothing but a towel. "What the hell, Stiles?"

"Why the look! Didn't you get my text?" Lydia threw a look to Stiles before cocking a hip and placing her hand on it

"If I did don't you think I'd be dressed and not currently in a towel?" She huffed before turning sharply and walking back in. Stiles hiked the back pack higher on his shoulder before rolling his eyes and following her. Boyd and Scott parted ways with Stiles in the woods while the Sheriff was currently busy deal with a double homicide. Stiles made a note to grab a pizza on the way home. "Wonder twins powers activate," Stiles muttered as he bound up the stairs to Lydia's room which was actually at the Hale house since her useless mother had decided the minute her daughter was in the plan for Boston that the room would work better as an extra closet. All of Lydia's things were moved to storeage unite. The day after the Erica's party all the werewolves had broken into the unite and moved it all into one of the spare rooms.

Stiles banged on Lydia's before walking past it to the next room which she had claimed as her and Stiles 'lab.' Also put a real kink in all the evil genius destined to take over the world jokes Stiles had been favoring since junior year of high school. He tried one two days ago when she started to set up her equipment but the grin and the various smoking chemicals within reach kind of killed it. The room itself was 90% taken up for her stuff but Boyd had dragged in a work bench for Stiles which now sat his whole supply for herbs and charm makings wonder. It was a pain to haul ass up here everytime he needed to make a new charm but a. Some of the herbs grew out in the woods so that was good and b. so it seemed his dead was allergic to a fair amount of them. In some dosages on a charm? Sure. In large supply a really red eyed kitten like sneezing Sheriff was not a happy camper.

Lydia emerged from her room less then 5 minutes later looking perfect as always. She was still a goddess but not one Stiles worshipped anymore. Besides seeing her in a towel three years ago would have had Stiles curled up in the corner with a bloody nose and a hard on. So for productivity all is glad that ship had sailed. Lydia shot him a knowing look as she started to set up some of her equipment.

"The text said mystery creature. Two bodies turn asunder in woods. Piece of creature needing identifying as well as you going out to the woods without any charms unless you found a way for that dinky little light spell to actually turn into a flaming missile," she added the last bit with a stern unrelenting look of her own.

'Crap, the momma look,' Stiles thought as he threw up his hands and sat on his work bench. "Scott texted you, huh?"

"Boyd."

"I'm touched."

"You'll be something else if you do that again." Stiles rolled his eyes as he hooked his work chair with his foot and yanked it towards him. He propped his feet up and started reaching behind him to the wall of drawers where his herbs and tools were. It was weird. He liked to perch as he worked and it was an added bonus that it annoyed the crap out of Lyds.

"Stop that, Lyds. We haven't had a monster in eight months. Chill."

"You do realize you are telling me to 'chill' on the heels of a monster attack that killed two people, right?"

"Shut up and work, woman."

Two hours passed as Stiles made a few of each charm. The sun was hitting the horizon just right to sit them directly in the middle dusk. Lydia was still doing various a experiments when Stiles straightened up and cracked his back. The pops and cracks echoed in the room which resulted in a water bottle to the head. He caught it easily since her aim kind of sucked and it slopped down to his lap instead.

"I need to head to the pond before it gets to dark," Stiles announced as he hopped down and gathered his things in a worn canvas bag that had been his mothers.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"People killing monster of mystery running around," Lydia snapped as she turned on the lanky teen with hands on her hips.

"Seriously? The pond is less then a leisurely 10 minutes away. If you go up to the roof you can see it. Besides new charm. It needs one more ingredient to be finished. Come on Lyds. New charm!" Stiles exclaimed excitedly which definitely put a crack in her glare.

"What kind of new charm?"

"Why don't you order us pizza and call in the troops. I'll explain when I get back and if we're real lucky we can trick one of the pups into being a text subject." Lydia' grin went up ten notches at the mention of a text subject.

"Fine I concede. You know my weaknesses but if you are going to go out there at least take The dagger."

"What? No!" Two years ago the pack had come into possession of a ritual dagger that was, well- Sort of sentient. It was forged in some way that it held a toxin on the tip that knocked a person out. "Last time I used that thing it knocked me out for ten hours."

"That was because you called it ugly." Stupid sort of sentient knife. Even though Scott and Lydia had touched the blade countless time they were never knocked out. That was when they figured out it had a sort of mind of it's own. "Be nice to it this time and it won't do that." She rolled her eyes before turning and going into the closet. She popped open the chest and with dre the dagger and it's harness. "You did apologize to it right?"

  
Stiles almost burst out saying that it was just a knif but he knew better. Isaac did that a few months ago and the thing got him. "No. Think  the dagger's  still mad?" She quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Yeah, probably." Stiles took the stupid thing while muttering an apology. Really it wasn't malicious just kind of unsettling. One of these days they were going to figure out it's origins.   


"Pack meeting set for an hour from now. Peter is still missing but in case it's still set for your house. Be back before then or I'll kill you," Lydia stated sending him off while texting. He waved her off, turning to leave while struggling with the harness.

  


  



End file.
